Professional medical care for pet animals developed slowly. Until the 1930s, few veterinarians specialized in small-animal practice and most Americans were their own pet doctors. In general, people were used to diagnosing and treating themselves and they used the same ideas about treating disease when they cared for sick pets. By the 1960s, having the family veterinarian neuter young cats and dogs and annual trips for check-ups and shots were routines for many pet-owning families. In 2001, 13,353 veterinary practices were devoted to small animals alone. Today, small animal care can include the same state-of-the-art medical technology used for human disease. Veterinary care has become one measure of the changing attitudes of people toward their pets.